Durango police will replace Flock cameras with Axon system

DURANGO, Colo. — The Durango Police Department will not renew its contract with Flock Safety in 2027 and plans to switch its automated license plate reader system to Axon. Durango Police had access to 21 Flock license plate reader cameras as of late 2025.

The department is not ending its use of license plate readers, which capture vehicle information that police can search during investigations.

Police say there is no single reason for the change. The department considered factors including privacy protections, data sharing, security, cost and investigative effectiveness. Durango already uses Axon for body cameras and in-car video, and Police Chief Brice Current said Axon’s license plate reader system can integrate with technology the department already uses.

“This is not about Flock failing,” Current said. “Flock helped demonstrate the value of ALPR and has made significant improvements. This is about continuing to evolve our program as the technology, safeguards and expectations evolve.”

Durango’s decision comes as Flock and other license plate reader systems face growing scrutiny over privacy and data sharing. In Colorado, Denver replaced Flock with Axon earlier this year after months of public criticism, while two Boulder residents sued the city over its use of Flock cameras. Communities elsewhere in the country have also discontinued or rejected Flock contracts over privacy, data security and immigration-enforcement concerns. People have vandalized Flock cameras in most states, NPR reported.

Durango’s switch to Axon does not necessarily address privacy concerns. 

Durango Police say privacy depends on how the technology is used, including who can access the data, how long it is stored and when it can be shared. The department tightened its own rules for license plate data as it prepares for the transition.

Reports of police officers misusing license plate reader systems have surfaced across the country. In Kentucky, authorities arrested a police officer after an audit found he allegedly used Flock more than 2,000 times to look up vehicles connected to a former partner, even though she was not involved in a criminal investigation.

Under the updated policy in Durango, every search must be tied to a specific case or investigation. Accessing data more than seven days old requires reasonable suspicion and supervisor approval. Routine license plate data can be kept for up to 21 days unless it must be preserved as evidence or for another legal requirement.